Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac offered a counterpoint to Charles Barkley's recent viral rant supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Barkley, speaking at a celebrity golf tournament near Lake Tahoe, criticized those who boycotted Bud Light following the company's partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney. He declared he wasn't afraid of being "canceled."
Isaac responded on Twitter, questioning Barkley's stance and expressing concern about the potential influence on children. He wrote, "What does this even mean? No one with human decency wants trans or gay people dead or without rights… God bless them all… but it’s completely reasonable for parents and adults to be worried about the apparent push to sway young minds. Is that hateful?"
Isaac further criticized the pressure parents face to counteract influencers, media, movies, and corporations. He also pointed out that Barkley's statements wouldn't lead to his cancellation, contrary to what Barkley suggested. "It's absurd that parents have to fight against so many powerful forces just to be the primary influence on their own kids," Isaac tweeted.
Barkley's viral videos showed him buying rounds of Bud Light for bar patrons, defending the LGBTQ+ community, and using expletives directed at those who disagreed with him.
Isaac, who returned to the court last season after two seasons sidelined by an ACL injury, previously garnered attention in 2020 by standing for the national anthem during the NBA bubble while many players knelt in protest against racial injustice.
